Here are N.J.'s 10 most endangered historic sites for 2017

Preservation New Jersey has released its list of the state's 10 most endangered historic places.

Each year, the nonprofit organization names 10 sites, or types of sites, that are in danger of being lost to disrepair or demolition if action is not taken.

The public makes nominations, and selections are based on the likelihood that the historic buildings and places can be brought back to a useful and productive life.

The group says several challenges face this year's sites, including the difficulties of raising adequate historic preservation funding, neglect and deferred maintenance, threats from redevelopment and new construction, the need for creative adaptive reuse proposals and the lack of state entities recognizing and preserving historic resources.

This year's list:

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1. Caldwell Motor Bank, Caldwell, Essex County

The striking 1963 mid-twentieth-century modernist bank in Caldwell’s central business district features three pedestal-like pavilions connected by an undulating thin-shell concrete roof. Currently for sale, its loss of function and valuable location leave it vulnerable to demolition and redevelopment.

PNJ says local and state officials should recognize the cultural significance of historic school buildings and halt their "costly, wasteful and shortsighted" demolition plan.

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3. Exempt Firehouse, West New York, Hudson County

The Romanesque Revival fire station was constructed in 1897 to house the volunteer Excelsior Engine Company No. 2 and later served as the clubhouse for the Association of Exempt Firemen of West New York. But now, the building sits vacant and deteriorating.

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4. Brick's Mincemeat Factory, Chesterfield, Burlington County

The factory building, consisting of two historic farmhouses and located in the historic village of Crosswicks, once housed one of the township's most successful businesses.

Vacant for several years and having fallen into severe disrepair, the property is currently listed for sale as a teardown.